Is Starlord’s father’s identity an Easter egg in Guardians of the Galaxy?

James Gunn said a while back that there was still an Easter egg in Guardians of the Galaxy that no one had caught onto yet. As far as I know, no one has found it, and if they have, Gunn has not admitted to it yet.

Umberto Gonzalez came up with a lot of scoops for Latino Review as El Mayimbe. He is now writing for Heroic Hollywood and claims that a source told him that Starlord’s father is a well-known Marvel character, and as James Gunn said, it is not the man who is his father in the comics.

Umberto said that Starlord’s dad is none other than Captain Marvel. Mar-Vell is a Kree warrior who died in one of the first major deaths in comic book history – not at the hands of a villain, but by cancer. It was a huge story when it came out, was one the first ever graphic novels, and remains a groundbreaking event in comic book history.

Well, that was just a rumor that remains unsubstantiated. However, a recent Reddit discussion pulled out some interesting photos and I went and checked on my own.

Here is a screencap I just made from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy:

That photo comes near the end of the movie when the Nova Corps are talking to the Guardians about how Peter Quill is not all-human, but his father was an ancient race. Check out the holographic image in the foreground of the screen.

Now, check out this picture of Mar-Vell.

The similarities are striking. Could this be the Easter egg that James Gunn was talking about? Is this proof that Mar-Vell is the father of Peter Quill?

Now, the problem is that Mar-Vell is Kree and the Nova Corps said that the race is not one they know, but an ancient race. As we saw in Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova knows all about the Kree. But could Mar-Vell be more than just a Kree warrior in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

We are supposed to find out in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which hits theaters on May 5, 2017. Now consider that the release date of the Captain Marvel movie has been moved to Nov. 2, 2018. For those who don’t know, Carol Danvers gained her powers from Mar-Vell, so if we meet Mar-Vell as Starlord’s dad in Guardians 2, then it might set up Danver’s introduction in her own movie.

So, what do you think? Was that image the Easter egg that James Gunn was talking about? Is Mar-Vell really the dad of Peter Quill? Only James Gunn and Marvel knows for sure.

Shawn is a film critic with 30 years of experience in print and online media. He is a former member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle and loves everything from critically acclaimed movies to B-level action flicks and everything in between.